Barang: A female marmoset died at Nandankanan Zoological Park (NZP) here Saturday.
The marmoset was ill for the past couple of days and was undergoing treatment at the zoo’s veterinary facility here, said a zoo staffer.
“The female marmoset fought with its male counterpart in the enclosure and got its tail snapped, Friday. Veterinarians swung into action and intensified the treatment soon after, but she died at 4pm Saturday,” a senior zoo officials said.
Sources said the marmoset family at Nandankanan had almost come to an end in 2016. However, a pair was brought to NZP from a private firm in Tamil Nadu’s Madurai March 25, 2018.
Later, another pair of the primate was added to the collection March 7, 2019, taking the number of marmoset at NZP to four.
With this death, NZP has only three marmosets—two males and another female.
Sources said marmosets are native to the rain forests of South America where they use their long tails to balance as they gallop speedily over the treetops.
They live in groups of upto nine monkeys and survive on fruits, vegetables, mealworms and locusts.